Ride The Rockies tips: Pointers for first-time cyclists

Cyclists pack up at the Ride The Rockies campground in Telluride in 2008. (The Denver Post)

As if pedaling over six days along 471 miles over six mountain passes weren’t enough, the Ride The Rockies cycling tour can intimidate by mere logistics.

What to pack? Where to lodge? Why, God? These questions can overwhelm any first-time rider.

Below are some pointers from a seven-tour veteran who as a Ride The Rockies rookie in 2005 craved guidance of any sort. Feel free to pass along tips of your own below in the comments section.

• Hear no evil. If you plan to camp — for the sake of Pete — bring earplugs. Whether indoors or outside, quarters can get tight. After a long day’s ride, there are things you don’t want to hear as you seek shuteye: snoring, flatulence, phone calls, Journey, heavy petting and plenty more.

• Be patient. No matter how hard you try, you’ll end up standing in a line for something that normally requires no such thing: toilet, shower, coffee. (And don’t dare cut! Hester Prynne saw more mercy.)

• Manage expectations. I once watched a cyclist at an aid station walk away from a half-made sandwich because the peanut butter was creamy, not crunchy. “But lady,” muttered the food vendor wistfully, “we’re at the top of a mountain pass.”

• Use protection. The sun’s rays during a Colorado summer in the high country are unrelenting. The spray variety affords hands-free application.

Joe Murphy arrives in Englewood for a training ride in preparation for last year’s Ride The Rockies. (Bryan Boyle, The Denver Post)

RTR weekly tips

By way of unlikely coincidence, Digital First Media developers Joe Murphy and Kevin Graves were coaxed last year into registering for their first Ride The Rockies tour. Naturally, they had a lot of questions.

To help them prepare, a colleague with some RTR experience offered up a series of weekly pointers. Were they helpful?

“Kinda,” said Murphy.

March 4

What is up, fellow Ride The Rockies cyclists? Hey, there are several options for lodging, which we discussed a little while back.

• Self-service camping: either on the high-school grounds or in the high-school gym. Gratis.

• You can book your own hotels.

• You can go through a service to get a week’s worth of hotels (Alpine Cycle Connection).

Of course, if you need something to eat before riding, there’s a community-hosted breakfast each morning at the campsite.

April 8

In the RTR rider manual, there’s the suggestion to bring with you a spare tire. At least that tip was in the manual when I first rode the tour. I did just that. I still regret it.

I struggled for the first three days of the tour to pack my spare tire. By Day 4, its shape had been compromised by one too many trips on the baggage truck. I tossed it — along with a not-so-negligible investment — in the trash.

The bike techs on tour are pretty well stocked with the basics. There’s one at each aid station. And they congregate at the host communities at the beginning and end of each day. Kevin Dale once blew a tire on the tour, and I’m pretty sure he bought a replacement at the very next aid station (somewhere near South Fork, I recall).

April 25

Depending on the site, tents can end up in close proximity. Consider earplugs.

April 29

What can you can expect at the aid stations?

Water, Gatorade, fruit (bananas or grapes or orange slices), porta potties galore, animal crackers (sometimes), a bike-tech tent, two or three vendors (plying anything from “performance pasta” to PB&Js.) There’s the Cookie Lady who makes the rounds; she cleans up.

You might be surprised by how good a PB&J tastes after a spell on the bike in the mountain air.

May 6

Sunscreen. I prefer the spray variety with a lofty SPF each morning for the legs and arms. If you dab your forehead, opt for a sweatproof suncreen to protect against stinging the eyes.

May 13

The bike corral: This is the lot where you stash your bicycle at the host community — usually tennis courts or a practice field at the local high school.

When dropping off our bikes for the day, maybe wrap the saddle to protect against overnight rain, dew, etc. A freezer bags works well. A soggy seat is a lousy way to start the morning.

May 20

Shower Truck: Not as lousy as it sounds. In fact, it’s a welcome sight after a long day in the saddle.

You can expect a line — anywhere from 5-45 minutes. Consider bringing a bag/backpack — even a plastic bag from Safeway will do — so you can hang your fresh clothes and toiletries on a hook in the truck. You won’t want just to drop that stuff on the benches in there (puddles). There are sinks outside the trucks for shaving, brushing, etc.

You can elect to shower in the school at the campground; that’s hit or miss.

Also, touching briefly on last week’s tip, the plastic Ziploc in which you receive your RTR jersey at registration makes for a good overnight saddle cover in the bike corral.

Joe Murphy fixes a flat tire on his bicycle at Washington Park early Wednesday morning before a ride to Cherry Creek State Park in preparation for this year’s Ride The Rockies. (Bryan Boyle, The Denver Post)

In 2012, I asked a former colleague whether he was interested in running the Chicago Marathon. Two weeks later, he asked if I was interested in Ride the Rockies. I got a road bike, got on the tour, and have yet to regret it. This will be my third RTR.

Daniel Petty is the digital director of sports for The Denver Post. He competed in track and cross country all four years inc college, but that was six years ago. Now, he's doing Ride the Rockies for the first time.